I know it’s goofy how bad I try to not need praise. But when the doctor I work for tells me I’m doing a good job. I turn into a man getting a compliment from a woman, that will be stored in my very being for the next century.
Warning: this fic will include some dark elements so be wary.
My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.
Character: Lloyd Hansen
Summary: you're good at your job because you're invisible, but what happens when your boss starts to take notice.
Note: I'll get some angry asks about another series going up but I was talking to people about this a while ago and figured I might as well share while I feel like it.
As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️
Lloyd huffs and stomps across the office. He doesn't see you as you flit across to set down a whiskey and soda. Right there next to his phone as a voice rises from the speaker.
Your boss faces his desk and plants his palms, leaning on it as he glares at the device. He makes a fist with one hand and slides it over, unclenching his fingers only to grip the glass. He slurps and hums at Fowler.
You go to the other side of his desk and move the wireless charger under the phone as the icon flashes in the corner. He sets down the half-empty glass.
"You know what, Nicky, I don't think I need you telling me how to do my work. Mr. CIA Cuck. Get back to all that red tape you keep bitching about." He snips and slaps the phone.
A hum and snort comes from the other side as he fails to end the call. He taps furiously with fingertips. You calmly press the red button and adjust the phone on the charger.
"Fucker," he spins and strides around the desk. He drops into the chair and it tilts back beneath his weight. "Bailed his ass out in Bali and what do I get..."
He brushes his thick fingertips along his mustache as he leans his chin in his hand. He's talking to himself. He tends to do that. He's the sort to ward off the silence.
You retreat and check your watch. Your pulse is unusually high. You feel a bit more fatigued than usual but nothing worrying. It doesn't matter. You have stuff to do.
You go down and start prepping his dinner. You keep an eye on the clock. Everything is precise. You don't, and can't, miss a beat.
He’s not in his office. You take the tray onto the balcony where he leans on the railing. He stares out at the immense lawn. You set everything out on the table and pour him a glass of scotch, neat. It pairs well with the steak.
You leave him. You pick up the tablet and review the itinerary for the next week. He didn’t tell you about the flight in two days. Must be whatever he was on the phone about. You book the pilot and the plane and start a packing list.
When you look through the glass doors of the balcony, you find him chewing on the steak and twiddling his fingers. He stares off at the setting sky. He’s having some internal conversation. He rarely holds back from putting his thoughts to words.
You go to his desk and take out the box of cigars. You prep one for his evening smoke, setting it beside the clean ash tray with his gold lighter. You tidy up the clutter while you’re there.
You set off to start packing. Better to start sooner than later. You get his tactical gear in the black leather duffle. He deals with the guns.
When you see him again, he’s pacing in the hall. He has his phone in his hand. He stops by the table near the front door and flicks the empty key tray. “The fuck!”
You quickly swipe the keys out of the pocket of the jacket he wore that morning and dump them in the tray. He picks them up and checks his phone again. You hold out a different jacket and he takes that too before leaving you without further acknowledgement.
It doesn’t bother you. Your invisibility makes your job easy. It makes the whole thing work. You don’t have to perform for him. Don’t need to smile and preen. You just need to make sure he has everything he needs exactly when he needs it.
You do a once over of the house. You’ll have the maid back in the morning for another clean. No food prep if he’s flying out in two days. You’ll wait until he’s gone to get the dry cleaning sent out.
As you set out, your head swims. You blink and slow as you reach your car. The small used Dodge hidden behind the house. The compact vehicle doesn’t go with the elaborate mansion or your boss’ array of luxury rides.
You open the door and lean before you angle yourself around to sit. You grab the bottle you keep in the center holder and sip. Your throat is scratchy but you’ve been running around all day. You turn in the seat and pull the door shut.
You check your phone. No messages. With the mood he was in, you don’t expect Lloyd to be back any time soon.
You pull around the mansion and down the long driveway. You swipe your pass to get through the gate and steer lazily onto the road. Your phone chirps. You cautiously glance down. You already know who it is. There’s no one else texting you.
You pull over and read the message. ‘Bottle. Sapphire Room.’
You drive away from the apron and continue, your foot heavier on the pedal. There’s a specialty bottle shop in a house fashioned after a vintage stone cottage. You drive down the long driveway that curves around the back of the walkup.
Silvio meets you at the door. He hands over the bottle and puts it on Lloyd’s bill. You set off to the club with another sway in your vision. Tired. You’re not much of a sleeper.
The flashing lights of the club add to your bleariness. You hug the bottle in one arm as you climb the stairs to the private room. The sapphire room is at the end. You enter to find your boss sat on the curved couch with three women in short skirts. You put the bottle on the glass table in front of them. The women look at you, curious, but Lloyd doesn’t notice you as he reaches for the costly crystal bottle.
“I promised you a treat, ladies. And I don’t just mean me,” he winks as he twists the heavy glass cap on the bottle.
You retreat without a word. The women share a look among each other but don’t hesitate to accept the proffered drinks. You shut the door as you go.
You don’t leave. You go to the bar and ask for a glass of water. The bar tender, Mila, gets you one and lets you into the backroom. No point in going home. He’ll need something else.
You sit on the stiff chair between a stack of boxes and some kegs and empty half the glass. You put your phone on your chest, keeping your hand around it, and lean your head back. You close your eyes and wait.
You drift into a trance. Your brain ripples and your eyelids tingle. The buzz of your phone wakes you up. You sit up. He’s leaving.
You call a car. You watch from against the outside wall as Lloyd piles in with his guests. When the tail lights disappear, you call it a day. You drive home in silence.
You park in front of your building and lean forward until your head touches the steering wheel. You groan into a cough as your eyes droop. You grip the wheel as you search for the energy to go inside. Your body slumps before you can and you sink into a stiff sleep.
FanFiction in the Mainstream: An Author's Perspective
I recently read an article in regards to the rise of Dramione fanfiction and to the uninitiated it's Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger fan written stories that are quickly becoming mainstream, and being sold in chain book stores. I thought I would offer my thoughts as an author. This topic has become increasingly relevant as we are witnessing more fanfiction-to-publication success stores.
I will do my best to play devil's advocate and attempt to examine the benefits and potential pitfalls of this trend.
I'll begin with this: I have absolutely nothing against fanfiction. Period. I love it and to this day publish fanfiction and for the foreseeable future don't plan to stop.
Fanficiton and I have quit a history. In the summer of 2010, during my mother's first bout with a mysterious illness, it was during a late night search that I stumbled upon a lifeline I hadn't known I needed. During the two weeks I stayed with her in the hospital, I dove into familiar worlds with beloved characters. This journey down this unfamiliar and odd path provided much needed comfort and escape during a very scary time.
During that same year of uncertainty and fear, I wrote my first ever fanfiction piece-and no, I will not be sharing the website where I publish my fanfiction nor my pen name. I've even written a blog post discussing how writing fanficition over the years made me a better writer, because it absolutely did (click here to read that post).
Now that I have that out of the way, let me begin.
As an author, I don't take issue with other writers taking already-established worlds and characters and dreaming up alternate endings or putting characters together romantically who would never be involved in the original work—like Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. This kind of creative exploration serves several important purposes.
For the readers, it answers that great question: what if? It also serves to give characters a deeper dive granted the fanfiction characterization isn't too far off the mark. It breathes new life into the storyline by exploring themes that weren't necessarily important to the movement of then original storyline.
Now, for the writer, it is a playground of endless possibilities, as well as a great challenge. Many of the stories and characters are beloved. Any deviation that veers too far from what is realistic for that character(s), time period or setting, the reader will eviscerate you. Trust me, I speak from experience on that one. You also get immediate feedback and in some cases demand.
In the long term, books that were published years ago can potentially gain a new generation of readers as well as a renewed interest from those of us who grew up with a particular series.
The Issue and Broader Implications
What I do take issue with is when adaptations of someone else's world and characters are then sold as standalone stories, with minimal changes made to disguise their fanfiction origins. I wouldn't necessarily use the word "plagiarism," but I feel as though we're heading into a grey area where the original creator is somehow getting the middle finger.
Let me be clear about the distinction I'm making here. Finding inspiration in fanfiction and creating your own original story is one thing—and something I fully support. Many authors have drawn inspiration from existing works to create something genuinely new and transformative. But taking scenarios directly from a world someone else created—tweaking character encounters, introducing scenarios—and then packaging and selling it feels well....problematic.
I find the approach of not bothering to change anything aside from surface-level details troubling, and I disagree with this becoming an accepted route to publication. If this becomes the expected norm, then why should authors be bothered with creating whole new worlds and mythologies? Why waste time agonizing and aiming to bring something new to the table when you can re-heat leftovers?
Yes, I understand the argument that "there's nothing new under the sun," but there are concepts and approaches that authors have brought forth that are fresh but original, even when exploring universal themes and archetypes.
The Creative Development Question and Finding Balance
Can this new popular path potentially stunt creative growth?
When writers know they can take shortcuts by borrowing established worlds and character dynamics, are they missing out on the challenging but rewarding work of creating something entirely their own?
Building original worlds, developing unique character archetypes, and creating fresh mythologies is difficult work. It requires authors to dig deep, to find their own voice, and to contribute something genuinely new to the literary landscape. While I understand the appeal of the fanfiction-to-publication path, I worry it may discourage the more challenging but ultimately more rewarding creative work.
I want to be clear: I'm not calling for fanfiction to be banned or discouraged. The community serves valuable purposes, and the writing practice it provides is invaluable. What I'm advocating for is a clearer distinction between fanfiction as a creative exercise and practice ground, and professional publication that should meet higher standards of originality.
My concern is that we're on a slippery slope where the line between fanfiction and original fiction becomes increasingly blurred in commercial publishing. If we accept that minimal changes to existing worlds and characters constitute "original" work worthy of publication and profit, where does it end?
What happens when aspiring authors see this as the easier path to publication and stop developing their own creative voices? What happens to the rich tradition of imaginative world-building that has given us everything from Middle-earth to Hogwarts to Panem?
Final Thoughts
Fanfiction is a wonderful creative outlet and training ground. I support it wholeheartedly in that context. But when it comes to commercial publication, I believe we should maintain higher standards for originality and transformation. Writers should be encouraged to use their fanfiction experience as a stepping stone to developing their own unique voices and worlds, not as a template to be slightly modified for publication.
The line needs to be drawn somewhere, and I believe it should be drawn at the point where creative borrowing becomes creative dependency.
I recognize this is a complex issue without easy answers. The literary world has always involved influence, inspiration, and adaptation. But in our rush to embrace new paths to publication, we shouldn't lose sight of the value of genuine originality and the hard work of creating something truly new.
Fanfiction has its place, and it's an important one. But so does original fiction that challenges authors to dig deeper, create more boldly, and contribute something genuinely their own to the literary landscape.
What are your thoughts on fanfiction going mainstream? Nothing to worry doubt? Or is this the beginning of the end?
The Weirdo wants to know!
Source: FanFiction in the Mainstream: An Author's Perspective
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